Electroplating machine



Sept. 28 1926. 1,661,528 w. F. HALL ELECTROPLATING MACHINE Filed Dec. 2, 1925 INVENTOR WITNESS M/IKHALL I v My Patented Sept. 28, 1926 UNITED STATES 1,601,528 PATENT OFFICE.

WESLEY F. HALL, OF MATAWAN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR'TO THE HANSON & VAN WINKLE COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ELECTROIPLA'IING MACHINE.

Application filed December 2, 1925. Serial No. 72,770. v

This invention relates to electroplating apparatus designed to automatically passarticles to be plated into, along, and out of an electroplating bath.

It is sometimes customary to pass the work down one side of the tank and return them. on the other side. To transfer the articles at the ends of the tank from one side to the other, or from a forward to abackward carrying conveyor, is the object of the present invention.

The invention comprises means for lifting the work from the longitudinal conveyor to a position above the tank, transferring the same to a transverse conveyor which carries it over to the other side while still elevated and then transfers it to a lowering conveyor that deposits it upon the return longitudinal conveyor. 9

An embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is an end elevation, and

Figure 2 a side-elevation.

1, may represent a tank or a pair of tanks placed side by side. At 2 are shown I- beams extending the whole length of the tanks upon which are mounted bearings 3, carrying shafts 4 upon which are keyed sprocket wheels 5 having longitudinal chains 6. These longitudinal conveyor chains are arranged in pairs, each pair being adapted to support and carry along transverse cathode rods or supports 7 the'carrier chains having special hook-links 8 adapted to engage against the cathode supporting rods 7 so as to insure uniform propulsion thru the tank. Vertical frames 9 are erected on each end of the I-beams for the support of the transfer mechanism. Sprocket chains 10, passlng around sprocket wheels or idlers 11, 12, 13, and 14 are provided with special links '15, acting as hooks, to engage under ode support reaches the end of its horizontal travel at'the top of the elevator, the book 19 will be immediately over a transverse conveying screw 20. The chains 10 in passing over the pulleys 13 allow the cathode hangers to drop until the hook 19 rests upon the screw 20. An interior rib 21 of the hook is adapted to fit in between the threads of the screw 20, and rest upon the shaft at the base of the threads. The shaft of screw 20 is supported in bearings 22- and may be used as the driving shaft, by a pulley 23. On said shaft a sprocket pulley 24 drives another sprocket pulley 25, thru a chain 26.

The sprocket 25 is mounted on a shaft 27 to which is geared a shaft 28 thruthe medium of three bevelled gears as shown at 29, in such a way that one shaft turns in the reverse direction from the other and at the same speed. The shaft 27 by means of sprocket wheel 30, keyed thereon and chain 31 drives a sprocket wheel 32 mounted on the same, shaft as sprocket wheels 12, and thus gives movement to the elevating chains 10. When the hooks 19 come to rest on the screw 20, the latter propels the hooks with their attached cathode parts transversely, until it reaches a position in line with the return conveyor. When it reaches this position, the thread 20. is discontinued so "that the cathode comes to a rest as shown at the right hand part of Figure 1. While resting at this position the transverse cathode rod 7 is engaged by books 32" (see Figural) on loweringchains 33 and as these chains are driven in the reverse direction to the elevating chains 10, by reason of the bevel gears 29, and the cathode supports are caused to reverse their travel and are passed down and onto the return conveyor chains 6, when they are carried by said chains in the reverse direction thru the tank until they arrive at the starting point, at which place a similar elevating mechanism may be used to raise the work out of the tank.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to provide means forelevating transferring and lowering work in electroplating machines but, the mechanism described, furnishes a simple, efiicient and durable means of handling electroplating apparatus well adapted,

for heavy work.

While I have shown a particular form of apparatus, it'is to be under'stoodthat the details may be varied. Other well known equivalents of the screw conveyor for instance, may be used and still come within the broader scope of my invention.

I claim 1. In an electroplating machine the combination, comprising, a tank, parallel longitudinal conveyors adjacent said tank, a transverse conveyor at right angles to the longitudinal conveyors, lifting conveyors operating in line with the longitudinal conveyors adapted to lift the work from one of the said longitudinal conveyors to a point above the tank and deposit iton the transverse conveyor and lowering conveyors uperating in line with the other longitudinal conveyors adapted to lift the work from the transverse conveyor and lower it onto th said other longitudinal conveyor.

2. In an electroplating machine the combination, comprising, a tank parallel longitudinal chain conveyors, adjacent said tank work supports bridging the chain conveyors and having hooks thereon, a transverse screw conveyor, chains provided with hooks for lifting the work supports from one of the said longitudinal conveyors and depositing it by means of its hooks on the transverse conveyor and means operating in the reverse direction to the lifting chains, for lifting the work support from the transverse conveyor and lowering it onto the other longitudinal conveyor.

3. In an electroplating machine the combination, comprising, a tank, parallel pairs of longitudinal chain conveyors adjacent said tank, a transverse conveying screw above the tank, having a threaded portion for part of its length, work supporting rods adapted to bridge one pair of said conveyors and having hooks thereon adapted to engage the threads of the said transverse screw conveyor, chains operating in line with one of the longitudinal conveyors adapted to engage with and lift the work supporting rods from one of the said longitudinal conveyors and deposit its hooks on the transverse con- Veyor and lowering chains, in line with the other longitudinal conveyor for lifting the work supporting rods from the transverse conveyor and lowering them onto the other longitudinal conveyor.

WE SLEY F. HALL. 

